Key fastener



och 1933. J. w. BALDRIDGE KEY FASTENER Filed April 15, 1932 IN VEN TOR. JOHN W BAL DR/DGE 5 TTORNEY.

l atented ca. 24, 1933 sire stares PATEN oFF cs KEY FASTENER John W. Baldridge, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Application April 15, 1932. Serial No. 605,475

4 Claims.

This invention relates to keyfasteners generally, and in particular to a key fastener comprising a shank adapted to project within the lock, and a hook portion adapted to engage the handle of the key to prevent the key from being turned in the lock.

In looking a door or the like, it is customary to provide a lock which is set within the edge of the door, the door and lock having coinciding openings extending entirely through the door so that the lock may be operated by means of a key inserted in the key hole from either side of the door.

tory it is quite possible, with the door locked and the key-inserted in the look from one side of the door, for a person to insert a wire or the like in the key hole from the other side of the door and rotate the key to a position so that the bit 201 projects downwardly and to then push the key out of the key hole. The person on the other side of the door can then insert a skeleton key and unlock the door.

If the bit of the key can be maintained in a cross-wise position in the key hole, the lock will hold it in position and the key can not'be pushed out of the keyhole.

In view of the ease with which a lock can be picked in the above described manner, I have 30. invented a key fastener which may be quickly and readily inserted in the key hole and fastened to the handle or bow of the key to prevent it from turning. e

An object of my invention is to provide a key 51 fastener which may be inserted within the key hole and engaged on the key without the use of clamps, set screws, or other locking devices.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the above character which does not "ineed springs or other locking members for holddrawing and following specification, wherein is disclosed several exemplary embodiments of. the I invention, with the understanding, however, that such changes may be made therein as fall within While locks of this kind are generally satisfac.

the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a door and door lock showing my device in use for holding the key in the door.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a key fastener shown in Figure l, but enlarged to better show the parts thereof. I

Figure 3 is a plan view of the blank from which the key fastener is formed.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective of my device as it is used for removing the cap from a bottle, and

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of one means whereby my key fastener may be semi-perms. nently fastened to a key.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing door is in which a lock 11 of the usual construction is located. The escutcheon plate 12 is fasu tened to the outside of the door as by means 0] screws 13 and a key hole 14 is provided in the lower portion of the plate. The lock 11 and the door 10 are provided with suitable openings co incident with the key hole 14 so that the-bit 16 of the key may be inserted in the lock and turned to lock and unlock the door. The key 1'? is of the usual type comprising a shank having a handle or bow 18 at one end and the bit 16 at the other. The bow 18 has an opening therethrough so that the key may be carried on a key ring or the like. The key fastener comprises a shank 21 (see Figure 2) having a hook portion 22 at one end thereof. The hook portion comprises a flattened extension 23 of the shank, a pair of hooks 24 and a spring 26 which is preferably formed from the bottom of the extension 23 as hereinafter explained.

- The hooks or prongs 24 are preferably quite wide at the base and taper as they project upwardly, outwardly, and downwardly to a point 27. The prings 24 and points 27 serve to engage the bow 18 of the key 17, the hooked ends 27 projecting downwardly into the central opening of the bow. The spring 26 is so located that it bears against the shaft of the key 1'7 to bias the end 23 of the key fastener away from the key to hold the hooks 27 in engagement with the bow of the key. v

The hooked ends'27 of the key fastener and the recess between the prongs 24 and the extension 23 of the shank 21 form a convenient means of engaging the cap 28 of a bottle 29 (Figure 4) when the key fastener is held in an inverted position. In this inverted position the prongs 2'7 engage the flanged and cri'mped edge 31 of the cap and the extension 23 engages the top of the cap so that when pressure is applied upwardly on the shank 21 as indicated by the arrow in Figure 4, the cap 28 is tilted to remove it from the bottle 29.

The key fastener is preferably made from a fiat sheet of material. The fiat sheet of material is punched out in the form of a blank 21a such as shown in Figure 3. A resilient material is preferably employed and the spring 26 is formed by pushing up a tongue, such as shown at 2601, in Figure 3, from the blank 2111.

An opening 32 is preferably provided in the end of the extension 23 so that a chain 33 or the like may be secured to the fastener and to the key to suspend the fastener on the key when the fastener is not in use. ('See Figure 5).-

The next operation in forming the key fastener is to bend the two'lobes or" the blank upwardly on the lines indicated by the dotted lines 34 of Figure 3 so that the two shank lobes 21a are joined to form a single piece, or shank 21, and so that the extension 23 and hooks 24 are lo cated in cooperative side-by side position but spaced apart so that the shaft of the key may be placed between them.

It is apparent that I have provided a key fastener which may be located in the key hole and attached to the key without the use of set screws, clamps, or other similar fastening means. Furthermore the same structure which operates to hold the key so that it can not turn is employed in its entirety with the exception of the spring for use as a bottle opener.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications thereto may be made by those skilled in the art. Such modifications may be 'inade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. p

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A key fastener comprising a shank portion,

an extension of the shank portion having an upwardly projecting spring therein and a hooked portion adapted to, engage thebow of the key, the spring and the hooked portion being adapted to act in opposite directions whereby the spring urges the bow upwardly to hold it against the hooked portion.

2. A key fastener comprising a shank portion, an extension on the shank portion, a spring upstruck from the extensionand a pair of hooked members, one on each side of the spring.

3. A key fastener comprising a flat two-part shank, hooks formed on the two parts of the shank for engaging the key, and an extension of the shank provided with a spring for urging the bow of the key upwardly against the hooks.

4. A key fastener comprising a pair of hooks and a spring for engaging respectively the bow and the shank of the key, a shank of the said fastener extending inwardly from thehooks and spring into the key hole, the shank being adapted to be maintained in rigid position with regard to the key by means of the spring and hooks.

JOHN W. BALDRIDGE.

fill-i 

